This summer, we embarked on the adventure of a lifetime with Adventures by Disney! River cruising has been at the top of our list of dream trips, but we never thought we’d be able to experience one so soon. The timing ended up being perfect and we are so glad we got to share this incredible experience together. Getting to do an Adventures by Disney River Cruise was definitely a dream come true!
Our Adventures by Disney River Cruise Itinerary
We sailed on the Danube River from Budapest to Vilshofen (Munich) on a 7-night adventure. We got to visit some truly incredible places in Hungary, Slovakia, Austria and Germany!
Here’s the full itinerary from our trip:
1st Day: Start in Budapest, Hungary
2nd Day: Budapest, Hungary
3rd Day: Bratislava, Slovakia and Vienna, Austria
4th Day: Vienna, Austria
5th Day: Krems, Austria and Melk, Austria
6th Day: Linz, Austria
7th Day: Passau, Germany and Vilshofen, Germany
8th Day: Disembark in Vilshofen and Depart from Munich
Here’s a link where you can view this adventure on the Adventures by Disney website!
Our Ship: The AmaLea
Adventures by Disney partners with AmaWaterways for their European river cruises. They charter the full ship, so all guests on board are part of the Adventures by Disney group. The ship is still run by the AmaWaterways crew, but the activities are run by the Adventures by Disney guides. We sailed on the AmaLea, and we loved the ship!
Our stateroom was lovely and comfortable, with a well thought our design. The dining was wonderful and we loved all the food. The service was very good as well. It makes sense that Disney would partner with a company with a similar value for high quality service!
Adventures by Disney River Cruise Adventure Guides
Traveling with Adventures by Disney compared to just sailing with AmaWaterways means you get the addition of Disney Adventure Guides. These Adventure Guides take care of every detail during the trip. The number of Adventure Guides varies depending on the size of the group (our group was much smaller than average, so we had 3 guides with us). They act as your hosts for the entire trip and are in charge of all the tour offerings in each port. They also run nightly activities on the ship like trivia, karaoke, live music and a movie night. Not only did they make things simple and easy for us, they also added a lot of fun to the river cruise and went out of their way to make the trip special for everyone!
Tours
In each stop of our journey, there were tours and activities planned for us. All of them are included in the cost of the trip. The tours are planned with families in mind and are fun for all ages (not just the kids). For example, a walking tour of a city would not just be a typical walking tour. It would have the added element of a scavenger hunt/puzzle throughout, or an in-character costumed guide. Additionally, there is also a focus on interaction and cultural immersion. Even traveling without kids, we really enjoyed this style of activities!
Some of our personal favorite highlights were:
- Equestrian Farm in Budapest
- Apple Strudel Making Demonstration and Marionette show at Schonnbrunn Palace in Vienna
- Classical Music Concert in Vienna
- Hike to Castle Ruins in Durnstein
- ‘Story of the Danube’ cultural activities in Melk
- Salt Mine Tour in Salzburg
As you can see, we did a really wide variety of activities! For some days/tours, the entire group was together. For others, we got to choose between 2 tours depending on what interested us most.
Comparing an Adventures by Disney River Cruise to a Disney Cruise
Many people (including us) who are interested in an Adventures by Disney river cruise are big fans of Disney Cruise Line. However, just note that these experiences are completely different! While there are some similarities, it was a very different type of trip for us.
On a Disney Cruise, the ship is the main destination. Of course you visit ports too, but the main destination is the ship. We often don’t even get off the ship in many ports because there is so much to do onboard. On the contrary, the river cruise is fully about the ports! With excursions all included, exploring these amazing destinations is definitely the highlight! On an ocean cruise, if you skip a port and stay on the ship there is a ton to do onboard. A river cruise is a much smaller ship though, and there aren’t activities happening on the ship during the day when the entire group is on tour.
This trip was extremely active and we found ourselves very tired at the end of each day (being in the first trimester of pregnancy certainly exacerbated that though!) We typically find ourselves relaxing a lot on DCL, so this was very different. There was so much to see and do though, that we loved every second of it!
Want to Hear More?
We were guests on the DCL Duo Podcast to talk about our Adventures by Disney River Cruise! It was so much fun chatting with the DCL Duo. We talk all about our River Cruise, and also share a bit more about our experience on the Disney Wish Enchanted Preview Cruise.
Experience an Adventures by Disney Vacation for Yourself!
Adventures by Disney offers a way to explore the world in a family-focused way, and with the service and quality that Disney is known for. In addition to river cruises, Adventures by Disney also offers expedition cruises and land tours in tons of destinations around the world! They even recently launched a new type of group trip – by private jet. For certain itineraries, they even off adult-only tour dates and the option for private groups.
Let us know if you have any questions about our Adventures by Disney River Cruise or Adventures by Disney in general! As a Travel Advisor at Wish Upon a Star with Us, Josh would love to help you plan your Adventures by Disney vacation. Fill out the form here if you’d like to work with us and want to request a quote!
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